There is no one who does not know the magical being known as the DRAGON. In any case, dragons were equal opponents of the gods themselves and were sometimes embodiments of the gods. In the religious beliefs of the ancient Slavs, they often appeared, for even the dark god Niy, also called the Black Serpent or Zmey, took the form of a black three-headed dragon.
The dragon, zmey, as well as the hydra, are mythical creatures found all over the world and are very similar to each other. They are characterized by great wisdom, longevity, and sometimes even immortality. Besides being categorized by their region of origin, dragons are often classified based on the environment in which they are found or the element they rule.
This type of magical creature, no matter which group it belongs to, generally takes the form of a massive flying reptile, possessing great strength and magical abilities. Many times with the possibility of spewing fire and smoke, but often also freezing air or poison.
The dragon's head usually resembles that of a canine or feline predator, but sometimes also that of a bird of prey. Dragons most commonly have one head, though there are known dragons with three, nine, or even twelve heads. The skin of dragons can be hairy, feathered, but most often it is scaly.
Another distinct difference between dragons is whether they are winged or wingless. The wings of dragons are most often membranous, similar to bats, but they can also have wings that are feathered or covered with scales. Basically, dragons, whether with or without wings, with or without legs, can fly very well and they can move easily in water.
The home of dragons, like most reptiles, tends to be caves, cracks in the earth, holes, or wells. However, they did not have to be only the place where the dragons built their nests, but also the places where they were able to move between the worlds.
Dragon symbolism is closely tied to that of the serpent. For our ancient Slavic ancestors, the serpent, and by extension the dragon, was not always a symbol of evil. Dragons, like serpents, based on male phallic symbolism, were attributed the qualities of strength, combativeness, magical abilities, as well as luck, health and wealth. Due to their association with the earth, wells, or water, serpents and dragons were also given feminine qualities of motherhood and protection.
In Slavic spirituality, the dragon represents a pair of opposing magical symbols, both in the contrasting pairs of earth - air and fire - water, as well as in the animal opposition of bird and beast, or predator and reptile. All of these conflicting images are united in the dragon, and perhaps it is precisely because of these contradictions that the dragon has so much magical power.
In the world of magical beings, and also in the symbolic realm, the dragon is definitely the most powerful magical being.
